The gorgeous fourth novel from award-winning historical
fiction author, Charlotte Betts, set in London and Paris during the time
of the French Revolution.

1792. As a teacher at her parents' Academy for
Young Ladies in the heart of London, Madeleine Moreau has lived her
life sheltered from the outside world. But on the night of a dazzling
Masquerade, tragedy strikes and she is left alone in the world.
Desperate to find the family she never knew, Madeleine impulsively
travels to France in search of them. But with war around the corner, and
fearing for Madeleine's safety, the enigmatic Comte Etienne d'Aubery
offers her shelter at his home, Chateau Mirabelle.

Chateau
Mirabelle enchants Madeleine with its startling beauty, but it is a
place of dark and haunting secrets. As the Revolution gathers momentum
and the passions of the populace are enflamed, Madeleine must take
control of her own destiny and unravel events of the past in order to
secure a chance at future happiness.

Nayu's thoughts

This
book took me by surprise. I was heavily intrigued as to how Madeleine
ended up in a vaguely random chateau with someone she barely knew,
and as her life crumbled around her I sat with tissues wishing that
life was different. Madeleine has such a passion for life that I
can't think of anyone who wouldn't like her. Okay, there are a few
characters who don't, but they aren't compassionate people and they
are selfish, egotistical and money hungry. They wouldn't dream of
taking to the grapevines and nurturing grapes – getting their hands
dirty isn't in their vocabulary.

Thankfully
kindness and helping others is in the forefront of Madeleine's nature.
She is happily optimistic, which is needed at more than once place in
this book. I honestly thought that I'd struggle a bit with the
historical side of things, that descriptions of places/events would
drone on and there would be space between action. I didn't and there
wasn't.

I was so keen to find out what happened next that
descriptions whizzed by as I joined Madeleine in fleeing terrifying peril,
trying to make a difference, and helping her best friend cope with
her huge mistake. The deception and lies that are told will make you
shake your fists in fury at certain characters, but trust me when I
say that justice is extremely sweet at the end. This is staying
firmly on my shelf for rereading, I'm glad I gave it a chance and I'll be keeping an eye out for more of Charlotte's books since they convey history at the side of a grand adventure.

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Essential Review Policy Information

Currently not accepting books for review until April 2018

This review policy change is due to winter being my worst time of year health wise, and it's just easier to put a suspension on accepting new reviews until I know I will be able to do them. Click on this link to see the full explanation

Exceptions are if you are an author I really like/or are a picture book!You will know who you are. If you don't mind a wait, do email me to see if I'll make an exception - I may depending on the book.

I accept books, ebooks, + audiobooks frompublishers, publicists, and authors. I also accept independently published books.

Other review items I'm happy to consider:jigsaw puzzles, apps for both android and iPad, candles, yarn, and chocolate.

Hi, I'm Nayu!

About me

About me I'm a UK book reviewer who founded NRC in 2009. As well as books I'm addicted to anime, love gaming, and spend time coaxing novels out of my Muse. I'm at the early stage of the path to publication, and will release all news when I have it! ^o^ Sometimes there will be days without posts because I have to deal with chronic illness and chronic pain gremlins. Please be patient in the down times.

Thanks to my passion for languages I like to rest up watching anime in English, French, and Japanese. I also adore gaming and cross stitch. My crochet hobby has evolved in to my Etsy store and blog Nayu's Crochet Dreams, where I sell handmade blankets, dishcloths and other crochet goods.

My cat Belle loves curling on my lap when I read, although she gets a bit crabby when I crochet because she doesn't like the yarn draping over her. Needless to say she doesn't get a say in the matter!

I hope you enjoy Nayu's Reading Corner, which has lots to offer whatever you're interested in.

short 'n' sweet= a shorter than normal review for when I'm low on energy/ill. Full reason is in this post. It bears no reflection on the book's brilliance. I truly would write more if I could.

Apart from books, which are copyright to the publisher, and pictures which I say are mine, all other pictures are found online through a Google search. I don't own the right to any of them.

Affiliates:I'm in the slow process of removing affiliate links. All affilate links will be marked as such, and if you choose to buy a book through an affiliate I get a tiny smidge of money. None of my opinions change because I'm using affiliates.

Nayu, 13th March 2017

Disclaimer

I am fortunate that most of the books I currently review are received from authors and publishers.

At the beginning of each review I put either Review copy (received from authors/publishers), Personal Copy (purchased by myself) or Library Copy (borrowed from the library).

Wherever the book comes from, I always write an honest review, explaining what I do like, as well as what I don't. I don't receive any payment for these reviews.